A mixed bag of stuff

I can't get my head round where this Covid situation is going; it's so far fetched, it's like something you'd see in a really bad sci-fi movie. Between the politicians and the 'scientists' it's a toss-up who's worse. Nearly 18 months in it still makes no sense - it still seems like an exercise in control and power rather than the management of a so-called deadly virus.

It's like they're playing with us. Every day there's another little tweak to the rules, another bribe or threat to coerce people into having the jab, another dire warning of what you won't be able to do if you don't get jabbed, another scare story of 'possible' variant on the horizon. Oh and, not forgetting my favourite, another report of some random in hospital, sad-faced and gasping for breath, saying "I wish I'd had the vax". Well, how lucky are we that there just happened to be a reporter and photographer there to pass on his words of wisdom...!

Thing is, I don't believe any of their crap any more; I now start from the point that they're all liars. It saves me so much time - I don't have to weigh it all up, do my research, then decide for myself whether there's any truth in it. There isn't. End of.

Bad news on the gardening front: We discovered earlier in the week that all our tomato plants have blight... damn it. I've picked a few that don't look to have been affected and I hope to get a few more if the sun comes out, but most of them will go in the compost bin. I'm so disappointed. Oh well, better luck next year.

I hobbled round the kitchen yesterday (bloody painful tendonitis in my ankle all week) and made a new recipe. I saw something in a magazine for Vegetable Biriyani. It looked nothing like any biriyani recipe I've ever seen, but at least it was quick and simple - just as well, because I can't stand for very long! I changed the quantities and tweaked it a bit - it's well worth doing for a quick weekday meal.

It's completely inauthentic, more of a pilaff than a biryani, but it tasted great and it was all store-cupboard stuff and very easy.

I'm putting it on here or else I'll never remember how to do it again!

1tbsp vegetable oil

200g small cauli florets

200g potatoes, diced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp tomato puree 

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp curry paste

150g basmati rice

350ml stock

1/2 cup frozen peas

15g butter

chopped coriander

Put the vegetable oil in a lidded frying pan and add the cauli and potatoes; cook on a medium heat for 7 or 8 minutes; add the onion and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, garlic, spices and curry paste. Fry for a minute then stir in the rice and stock. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on and cook over a gentle heat for 8 minutes, gently stir in the peas and butter, cook for another 2 minutes then turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the coriander and serve.

We had it with onion bhajis and samosas (shop-bought - I can't stand long enough to make my own, even if I wanted to) and a goodly dollop of mango chutney. It was a cross between a pilaff and a cheat's version of a biryani; I'd definitely make it again. Might add half a can of chickpeas next time.